Compost/soil sifter

janezee on 12/6/2011, 9:21 pm

I don't have trees to hang one, so I was looking for one that would be easier to shake and empty. Take a look at this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghSee5T9BTo&NR=1&feature=endscreen

I think I just might have some casters in the shed waiting for this project.

Anyone got a better idea out there? It can't weigh a lot, or be large. Gettin' up there in aches and pains, IYKWIM.
j

boffer on 12/6/2011, 9:43 pm

The only thing simpler is holding the top box in your hands and shaking it, and that is hard on your back.

That's a pretty nice straight forward design. You would get faster sifting action if the casters rolled over bumps, such as little pieces of wood.

I use ½ inch hardware cloth for most of my compost; I use ¼ inch to sift compost for my carrot box, and I rarely have deformed carrots.

Here's another fit-up, same general design.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OujHTz1lAm4&feature=related

BackyardBirdGardner on 12/6/2011, 10:48 pm

I was going to suggest something similar to Boffer. Imagine a 2 foot by 2 foot square with 1/2 inch hardware cloth as a "screen" or sifter. The frame is simple 1 inch by 2 inch wood pieces. It's light, portable and sits nicely on a wheelbarrow. Take the sifter out to your compost pile, place it on your wheelbarrow, sift away, and wheel clean compost back to your garden. That screen can go anywhere you want it to go....no back pain. Leave the hard work up to the dummies.

llama momma on 12/6/2011, 10:59 pm

For smaller amounts of sifting I sit down on my step stool. I really like the sitting down part of this. Use a large empty kitty litter container (formerly held about 22 lbs of kitty litter). It has a very nice handle and a snap shut lid. Push down a a piece of hardware cloth over the top of kitty litter container and bend it over the sides. I use a 32 oz empty yogurt container to pour compost over the hardware cloth and push it around with a trowel. Ten minutes or so the container is filled and I have enough to replenish the squares for at least one 4x4 box with left overs. Up close and personal with the compost lets you appreciate how sweet it smells too.

janezee on 12/7/2011, 12:02 am

Thanks, guys. Those look great for compost. but I think llamamomma's got you beat!

@LM rofl

I'm all for the sitting part! That's a really great idea. I get those buckets for the garden from the recycling center down the road. I've found some great stuff there for the garden. I have hardware cloth from freecycle.

Reminds me of the story of the reporter who asked a 100 year old woman the secret of her longevity. The reply was "Never stand when you can sit. Never sit when you can lie down." rock on

That's why there's a chair in my garden, and a lounge just outside it!

I should have stated that I was thinking of something to get more done at once, including soil. Or perhaps mixing MM more easily, too. I'm pulling sod and expanding a flower bed, and it's been rough going. They don't call the island "the rock" for nothing!

**gwennifer** on 12/7/2011, 1:27 am

Roll your wheelbarrow onto one of these. Place a sifter box on top, strap the belt around it, and off you go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96LkiRQDk38

janezee on 12/7/2011, 1:33 am

Why didn't I think of that? silly me

BTW, love the Santa hat!

llama momma on 12/7/2011, 5:15 am

Oops I want to amend the kitty litter size container I use, its not a 22 pound plastic container. Just checked, and it is a 35 pound size container that when filled, holds enough finished compost to replenish a 4x4 box.

quiltbea on 12/7/2011, 10:43 am

I love the sifter on youtube, but unfortunately, I'm not handy. Mine is a very simple sifter. I use a plastic potato/onion stacker from my pantry.

I grab hold of both sides and I sort of toss the compost up and down inside the strainer to get the compost thru and it works just fine. It also gives me a bit of needed exercise. The bits that don't go thru are tossed back into my compost barrel to age a bit more.

quiltbea on 12/7/2011, 10:46 am

llamamomma.....I can hold my sifter over a 28# or 35# kitty litter bucket sitting in my wheelbarrow and fill it that way, too. Most goes in the bucket and I can take a bucketload to any bed to distribute easily.

llama momma on 12/7/2011, 11:01 am

That Works, there you go. The guys were wonderfully mechanical in their approach. Us ladies made do with whats around the house. I say It's All Good. I like not having to lug around a wheelbarrow and shovel, probably something the guys don't think twice about. Recently I had enough lugging around experience with leaf bags...

Lindacol on 12/7/2011, 3:34 pm

llama momma wrote:That Works, there you go. The guys were wonderfully mechanical in their approach. Us ladies made do with whats around the house. I say It's All Good. I like not having to lug around a wheelbarrow and shovel, probably something the guys don't think twice about. Recently I had enough lugging around experience with leaf bags...

I have 2 of these carts (a regular & a jumbo). They are not cheap but so much easier to use than a wheelbarrow.

http://www.ezhaulcart.com/home.php

But seriously, I opt for the easier way and do not sift my compost. I scoop it into a bucket and dump it in the beds. Works for me.

Patty from Yorktown on 12/7/2011, 5:05 pm

Also in the low tech end of compost sifting, I use a piece of plastic hardware cloth and just grab the corners. Happy sifting.

Patty in Yorktown

arla on 12/8/2011, 2:38 pm

quiltbea wrote:I love the sifter on youtube, but unfortunately, I'm not handy. Mine is a very simple sifter. I use a plastic potato/onion stacker from my pantry.

I grab hold of both sides and I sort of toss the compost up and down inside the strainer to get the compost thru and it works just fine. It also gives me a bit of needed exercise. The bits that don't go thru are tossed back into my compost barrel to age a bit more.

Hmmm, this gives me an idea, I had some spare hardware cloth lying around, seems like that would be an easy fix for it, just need somewhere to put the "excess" that doesn't sift through.

TN_GARDENER on 12/10/2011, 5:54 am

can you find anything like this?

i built a sifter that is similar to the the one featured in the o.p. except i did not use casters. It works pretty good. Hardest part seems to be keeping the wheel barrow from rocking and shaking.

I'm considering making a few adjustments. Might even make a trommel type out of a 55 gallon barrel or bicycle tire rims

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